Character Development: The Young Man

Character Development: The Young Man

The young man’s tracking device ceased to function the day he turned 18. In a few months, the device implanted when he was a child would break down leaving a small scar, the only evidence of his forced servitude. Life as a commodity was over. The Vocational Education Program that bound him, as slave labor could no longer force him to work. He was a free man. His life his own, He could travel anywhere, go to college or seek employment. All traces of his life in hell erased from the books, sealed by the courts as governed by law.

The young man looked out the window; the rain was stopping. “We gotta go” he said nudging his girlfriend out of the booth. Her tracking device still functioned. She was a runner, a criminal.

Character Development: The VEP Administrator

Character Development: The VEP Administrator

Vocational Education Program Administrator was his designated title. His dark blue jacket hung on the coat rack next to the door. The white shirtsleeves rolled half way up his forearms. He sat behind his desk with his face in his hands attempting to calm the migraine. The job was stressful and the main reason for his divorce. The stack of VEP applications on his desk were at an unmanageable level. His staff of four overwhelmed. There weren’t enough hours in the day or days in the week to complete all of the required inspections and paperwork. His most experienced and reliable inspector was on maternity leave. She would not return for at least 4 months and there was no replacement. The remaining inspectors slow, sloppy and teetered on the line of incompetence. His boss was breathing down his neck to increase productivity. Government funding for the program was dependent on the number of VEP applicants certified in a given year. His goal was 20 percent over last year. He looked at the stack of applications, he could fabricate the reports and save time, no one would know.

Character Development: The Truck Driver

Character Development: The Truck Driver

The truck was government- issue, purchased from an army surplus sale. The driver worked as a subcontractor for the Office of Financial Affairs delivering cargo to different Vocational Education Programs around the country. He wore an old tattered shirt and a leather jacket that had seen better days. He smelled of armpit, cigar smoke and fast food.

The driver laughed as he pulled himself into the cab of the truck. His cargo this trip consisted of two dozen frightened children on a one-way trip to hell. There was only three ways out of the VEP program: escape, die or parental buy-out.

Commodity Tales – 1

The Travelers
The diner was a temporary stopping place, a safe haven from the torrential downpour outside. The booth made of old wood was cold and drafty but offered a clear view of the road. Exhausted from their journey, her head of brown curls resting on his tired shoulders she whispers, “I love you”.
The waitress brings the weary travelers two glasses of water and a day old cinnamon bun. The young man scratches his stubbly chin and nods in appreciation. He could offer no more. His pockets were empty.
The waitress sighs, “There would be no tip from this table”.
The Young Man
The young man’s tracking device ceased to function the day he turned 18. In a few months, the device implanted at the age of four would break down leaving a small scar, the only evidence of his forced servitude. He stood released from the life of a commodity. The Vocational Education Program that bound him, as slave labor could no longer force him to work. He walked a free man. His life his own, he could travel anywhere, go to college or seek employment. All traces of his life in hell erased from the books, sealed by the courts as governed by law.
The young man looked out the window; the rain slowed to a drizzle. “We gotta go,” he said nudging his girlfriend out of the booth.
The Young Girl
Her brown curls were from her drug- addicted mother. Her father unknown, he could have been one of a thousand men. Life as a commodity started at the age of four. If the state penitentiary had welcomed her mother a couple years sooner she might have had a chance at adoption and a good home.
Her days of picking vegetables and daily devotional were numbered. Too old for the needs of the church, the elders had taken her picture and marked her for sale. The caption on the bottom of the Commodity Trade show flyer indicated she was a good reliable worker. She ran away from hell to stay with the young man. Pursued by a retriever, her tracking device still functioned.

Time for school

It is almost time for school to start. This year, I have three in college.

Stephanie is attending LMU nursing school. This is her last semester. She graduates in December.

Heather will be attending Roane State.  We are in a rush trying to decide what to do for childcare.

Shane will also attend Roane State. this is his last semester before he goes into the military.

My daughter Rachel will be a senior in High School this year. She graduates in December.

and lastly,

Morgan moves up to middle school.

No stress or pressure in this household. :)

The Awakening

The Awakening

I remember nothing prior to the time of my awakening; during my first conscious moments my mind attempted to search for answers. I was not afraid but lost in blankness; there were no images to retrieve, no clue to my predicament. Limited to a space no larger than a casket, movement was minimal; I used my hands to search for a button or a lever that would allow escape from my captivity. While blindly searching the walls, a light above my head began to flash and change in color from red, to yellow, to green. The hatch released allowing external air to rush in; the sudden change in air pressure caused my lungs to take a series of unexpected deep breaths. The inhalation of fresh air was invigorating. I reached out and pushed the hatch aside. My first images of freedom were a metal grey ceiling lined with pipes and recessed lighting. Curious about my surroundings and my eagerness to flee my confinement I sat up. To my surprise, I was not alone.

A room of strangers, both male and female from various places of origin, we looked at each other uncertain what to say. When words were finally spoken the language unfamiliar but recognizable to all. My first attempts to speak in retrospect were comical. I started and stopped sentences several times in an attempt to fix the malfunction in my communication process. The words in my head English but what springs forth from my mouth is not.

Ninety nine percent of who I am is a mystery. Labeled across the left breast of my jumpsuit is the name “Ghent”. This name is not familiar but I must assume it is my own. Jamison, who I am certain, has a medical background seems to thinks our amnesia is temporary; a side effect from our undetermined time spent in the sleep pods. I hope he is right; not knowing for certain who I am or where I came from is disturbing.

Nothing is familiar. A placard on the wall suggests we are in a place called Dannick. None of us remember entering the pods; our minds blank in regards to past events. Attempts to brain storm for answers are ineffective; our imaginations run wild with possibilities. We can only speculate as to how, when or why our destinies collided in this place.

We have yet to determine if we are captives or willing participants; our matching jumpsuits suggest we are members of a group; possibly inmates or an elite band of warriors. I prefer to think we are the later or something comparable in respectability. I do not wish to be a criminal or an escaped test subject of a mad scientist.

Collectively we decided to explore our surroundings. There are no windows to give clue to our location. My best guess is that we are on a military vessel or in the deep dark depths of a research facility or possibly a fallout shelter; although a logical reason for being in either of those places is not readily apparent. There is a slight hum in the corridor and the occasional mechanical noise but no other discernible sounds from the outside.

Possible Snow

We are currently under a winter storm warning. We are suppose to get snow starting today thru tomorrow. Knox county closed schools last night at 7pm. The kids didn’t have to go to school today.

My parents are having their 50th wedding anniversary party tomorrow in Nashville. I’m going to cry if it snows enough that I can’t get over the mountains and attend. I am picking up their anniversary cake after work.

Oopsie

Today I failed at being a mom. I was cleaning house when Morgan asks if she can use her easy bake oven. I said “yes” so that she would stay out of the way.  Once I am on a roll cleaning I need people out of the way and let me do what I need to do.

It takes 12 minutes to bake a cake in the easy bake oven.  Morgan decided it was too hard to see the cake cook in the easy bake oven so she asked me if she could use the microwave. I wasn’t paying attention when I said “yes”.  10 minutes into baking her tiny cake in the microwave it catches fire. Smoke filled the house. It seems I forgot to tell Morgan that microwaves cook things really quickly.

I failed at being a mom. Poor Morgan was scared to death.

Happy New Year 2010

I went to bed long before midnight when I woke up this morning it was 2010. Wow! amazing.

I don’t have any specific goals for this year. Except that maybe I will make a true attempt at getting into better physical shape. My son wants me to join his karate class. I am seriously thinking about doing this.

I received a new computer for Christmas. I want to work on making better videos. In the last few days, I have taken our old vcr tapes and put them on DVD and then uploaded them to youtube.

I wish everyone a happy 2010.